Trump tour down south

Beat the cold this winter with a luxurious condo that's not as pricey as you may think

A sunny view at Trump Hollywood, where suites are by Yabu Pushelberg.

Photograph by: Roberta Avery
, National Post

HOLLYWOOD BEACH, FLA. . The expectation is to find glamour and over-the-top glitz at this condominium linked to business magnate Donald Trump. So it comes as a surprise to walk into the lobby of Trump Hollywood to find it oozing understated elegance and sophistication.

The lobby, with its muted tones and beautiful artwork, sets the scene for the 200 luxury residences. Each floor of the 41-storey building has up to six residences, and with six elevators in the building, each residence has, in effect, a private elevator.

The suites, by Toronto interior design team Yabu Pushelberg, have an upscale modern feel. Floor-to-ceiling windows give expansive views of the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.

Four years ago, Harry Polsky, a Florida resident with Toronto connections, watched the gleaming curved tower go up, but suites at that time ranged from US$1.3-million to US$7-million, so he thought ownership at Trump Hollywood was an impossible dream.

"It was the crème de la crème, but I knew we couldn't afford it, so I didn't even look," Mr. Polsky says.

Then in January, Mr. Polsky heard that BH3, the new owners of Trump Hollywood who took over in 2010 after lenders foreclosed on the previous owners, had discounted prices.

"I was ecstatic," says Mr. Polsky, who was the first person to buy a suite from the new owners.

Mr. Polsky, who ran a packaging business in Richmond Hill and lived in downtown Toronto in the late 1990s, paid US$748,000 for his 2,100-square-foot residence on the 11th floor.

Concierge Benny Benson says that Trump Hollywood is selling lifestyle and that he makes sure the residents have everything they need.

Mr. Benson, for instance, will arrange delivery of a meal of wild Key West pink shrimp, Indian River clams and Apalachicola oysters from the famous-in-these-parts Billy's Stone Crab Restaurant, to be served by the pool or in a resident's apartment. Or, better still, residents can head to Billy's, which is a five-minute drive away, and enjoy a meal served on the dock.

The perfect place to walk off lunch is the boardwalk, which stretches four kilometres along the golden sand of Hollywood Beach on the one side and quaint restaurants and stores on the other.

While Florida real estate is still reeling from the market collapse of 2007 and property prices in the area remain depressed, there is an air of optimism throughout Hollywood Beach. That's one of the reasons Greg Freedman, a partner in BH3, believes that Trump Hollywood is selling well at the new price point for residences that are $700,000 to $6-million.

Mr. Freedman, who loves to show visitors the climate-controlled wine cellar and tasting salon and the cigar room, says that the elegance of Trump Hollywood is attracting buyers from Europe, Brazil, New York, Toronto and Montreal.

One person who is not selling Trump Hollywood suites is Mr. Trump himself, whose only involvement is the licensing of his name and the occasional visit to launch parties.

Hollywood Beach is located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale and can be hot and humid at any time of the year. Ocean breezes cool the terraces around the swimming pool - or if you are willing to shell out $250,000, you can buy a pool-side cabana. No ordinary tent-like structure, the Cabanas at Trump Hollywood are more like upscale air-conditioned granny apartments with their own washrooms, sitting area and bar.

Like everything else here, the cabanas reflect a standard of luxury that can be seen throughout the building.

"We keep pinching ourselves - we can't believe we have been able to buy here," says Mr. Polsky, a broad smile on his face.

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